With lunch out of the way, their afternoon was wide open.
Claire took the lead. "You guys should figure out if there's anything else you need to buy. Boot camp starts tomorrow."
"Once it starts, we won't have time for shopping runs."
Her reminder jolted the other three into action.
"Shopping trip?" Zara proposed. She might not excel at academics, but retail therapy was her undeniable forte.
"I think I'll pass," Lex quickly declined.
Her meager savings wouldn't survive a single store visit.
Her roommates had been generous, but the financial chasm between them was terrifyingly vast.
Tagging along would only force them to awkwardly budget around her.
Besides, while Zara meant well, her lack of a verbal filter was still a lot to handle.
Lex had no desire to subject herself to accidental insults all afternoon.
"Aw, come on! It's a great way to map out the area around campus," Skylar pleaded, itching to hit the stores.
Skylar came from a comfortable background. While her monthly allowance wasn't astronomical, her parents always sponsored her major shopping hauls.
Plus, this was their last day of freedom before the grueling drills began. They had to make the most of it.
"Isn't there anything you need?" she pressed.
Zara chimed in, "Just come. Even if you aren't buying, you can hang out and help us pick..."
She trailed off as her eyes swept over Lex's worn-out, threadbare clothes. "Never mind. You probably don't have an eye for fashion anyway."
Lex's face stiffened.
She knew she couldn't match the heiress's designer tastes, but hearing it said so bluntly still stung.
Claire couldn't help but see flashes of her cousin Shirley in Zara-that same obnoxious, privileged aura.
Yet, she knew Zara wasn't rotten to the core.
"If Lex doesn't want to go, we don't have to force her. Honestly, I'm not feeling it either," Claire intervened.
"We both spent time here during the winter camp, so we already know the area. It's nothing new to us."
"My sister goes here too, and she dragged me out to buy all my essentials two days ago."
Zara instantly deflated. "Whatever. If we aren't going, I'll just call Connie and have her deliver whatever I need."
Skylar looked at Claire with big, pleading eyes. "Claire, please? Come with us. Zara and I don't know our way around at all..."
Zara was about to brag that she knew the city perfectly, but Skylar shot her a desperate look.
Fine.
"Right. I have no idea where anything is," Zara lied stiffly.
Claire considered it for a moment before relenting. "Alright. I'll go with you."
She had nothing else going on, so playing tour guide wasn't the worst idea.
Using the shopping expertise she'd picked up from Yolande, Claire efficiently guided Skylar and Zara through the best stores, helping them check off everything on their lists.
They even stocked up on extra sunscreen, each buying a massive bottle of spray.
"The spray might not offer the heavy-duty protection of the lotion, but it's a lifesaver
when you're rushing," Claire explained.
"It's perfect for quick full-body coverage."
She was echoing Yolande's exact advice.
"I only brought one bottle of lotion. That definitely wouldn't have lasted."
Zara flashed a thumbs up
impressed by Claire's foresight
Knowing that Claire also had a sister at Cabinda University only deepened her awe.
"What kind of crazy genetics run in your family? How are you all getting into Cabinda?"
Claire shrugged helplessly. "I don't know. The genius gene, maybe?"
Zara burst out laughing. "Wow, humble much?"
However, when she later found out that Claire wasn't just a genius, but the
I top scorer in the entit
nation, she was absolutely stunned
"I literally pulled my hair out studying every single night of senior year just to barely
scrape by and get off the waitlist."